Creating a Digital Collection: The Basics TAM-CMC Archives ...Free: Flickr, Picasa ! Purchased: Virtual Exhibit plugin for PastPerfect, CONTENTdm ! “Near-free”: Flickr Pro ! Level
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Creating a Digital Collection: The Basics TAM-CMC Archives Workshop
Waco, TX :: 10/28/11
Eric S. Ames
Digital Collections Consultant
Baylor University
A Little About Me } BA: Public Relations (TTU) } MA: Museum Studies
(Baylor) } Digitization Collections
Consultant } Proud daddy
[Photo: Kelly Hosch Photography, Temple, TX]
Pre-Planning
Section 1
Pre-Planning: Assessment } Assessing your collections
} What kind of materials will you be digitizing? } Archival: manuscripts, letters, photographs, maps } Library: books, bound items } Newspapers } Video/audio
Pre-Planning: Outcomes } Scanning for preservation
} Higher resolution } Larger files } Long-term responsibility
} Scanning for access } Lower resolution } Smaller files } Shorter retention schedule
} Both } More complex } Most likely
Pre-Planning: Staff } Who scans it?
} Staff } As primary responsibility? } An “other assigned duty”?
} Volunteers } Primary focus? } Training concerns/quality of work
} Contract staff / temps } Short-term solution } One-off or specialized jobs
Pre-Planning: Organization } How are the materials organized?
} Chronological } By accession number } By serial number/publication information } By name/subject/title } Other
Pre-Planning: File Management } Identifiers
} Human-readable best } 2003_03_11.tif (trinomial) } Tribune_October1899-03
} Checksums/File fixity } “File fingerprints” for tracking } FastSum
} Storage } Multiple redundancies: scanning machine, external storage, off-
site
Pre-Planning: Timeline } Have a target end date
} “1st quarter of 2012”
} Be reasonable } It will take longer than you think
} Under-promise, over-deliver } Who are your stakeholders? } How much do they understand about the process? } What are their expectations?
Equipment and Software
Section 2
Equipment: Minimum Specs } Compatible with your computer
} Mac or PC
} USB 2.0 or firewire connectivity } Listed on box, almost all are USB
} At least 300 dpi, 24-bit color } Grayscale also useful
} 8.5” x 11” scanning surface or larger } Perfect for photographic prints, letters, standard size paper } If an option, look for something larger
Equipment: Software } Scanner-based
} Acquisition of images (EPSON scan) } Basic image editing
} Photoshop (or equivalent) } GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
} Google docs/Excel } Workflow tracking
Material Selection
Section 3
Materials: Copyright } Public domain
} 1923 is considered “bulletproof”
} “Orphaned works” } Author/artist is known, but current owner is not
} Under copyright } Request permission or metadata only
} Permissions-granted works } Make sure it’s covered in the paperwork
Materials: Rarity } One-of-a-kind
} The only known example of X in existence
} Most-used rationale } Do your homework
} Make sure it really is rare
Materials: Fragility } Determine a threshold } Conserve/preserve first } Be aware of risks during scanning } Make plans for rehousing after scanning
Materials: Other } Most requested
} Protection of originals } Access via Internet
} Largest holdings } Most complete set of historic city photographs
Digitization Basics
Section 4
Workflow management: Google Docs spreadsheet
Digitization: Basics } Choose an appropriate dpi and color setting } Always do a preview scan } To color bar or not to color bar? } Borders
} 1-2mm around images
Digitization: Basics, File Management } Storage locations
} At least three: scanning computer, an external hard drive, off-site
} Spinning discs the rule
} Checksums } Assign to files as you save them to external source
} Backups } Further steps include backing up to tape
} Derivatives } Match filenames to preservation copies } Keep or discard
} External media like a CD-R, DVD-R, flash drive
Metadata
Section 5
Metadata: Basics } “Data about data” } Think catalogue info } Organized according to schemas } Dublin Core is one of most common
Metadata: Dublin Core
Fields
} Title } Creator } Subject } Description } Publisher } Contributor } Date } Type } Format
} Identifier } Source } Language } Relation } Coverage } Rights
For more info: http://dublincore.org
Metadata: Considerations } How much is enough? } Embedded URLs to reference collection
} Source: www.ourcollection.com/texas, for example
} Copyright clearance statements } Disclaimers
} No known copyright restrictions } These materials are representative of the time in which they
were created and may be considered offensive by current standards. User discretion is advised.
Online Presentation
Section 6
Online Presentation: Basics } Free, purchased, or “near-free”
} Free: Flickr, Picasa } Purchased: Virtual Exhibit plugin for PastPerfect, CONTENTdm } “Near-free”: Flickr Pro
} Level of access } High-quality vs. low } Worldwide vs. controlled
} Social media capabilities } Easy to share?
} Downloads? } High-resolution or low
Summary / Q&A / Contact info
Section 7
Contact Info
eric_ames@baylor.edu (254) 710-1576 Helpful links } http://contentdm.baylor.edu } http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu } www.flickr.com } http://docs.google.com } http://dublincore.org } http://goo.gl/FKWGN : Course materials, including this
PowerPoint, templates, etc.
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